Veritas round router plate

[Mark_R]

Couldn't find any info here about this plate - noticed another member had one inserted in their Ridgid 3660 as I intend to. A couple questions for those have experience with this item:

1) general impressions?

2) Does the kit include everything i need to rout the round hole in the table? It seems to include a few extras, and I'm feeling a bit of spending fatigue right now, buying a bit I don't already have might be a dealbreaker.

3) To the member (it might be Stevem) who has a table built into their saw - any pics of the underside of your set up would be appreciated! (not a big deal, no worries if it's a pain in the @ss).

thanks very much!

Mark

[Tim Put]

I've got one. It's alright. It comes with everything you need except the router and bit (1/2" straight as I recall). It never gave me any problems, but nevertheless I've since switched to a Pat Warner type setup. That is, a router mounted directly to the underside of the table. Cheaper, easier, and better performing.

[stevem]

yeah, its me!!

i have those routerplates on three or four routers, a couple of porter cable 690s, a 2 hp ryobi and a hitachi 3hp m12v

no problems with any of them as far as weight, the kit includes everything you need except the router and bit

drilling the holes acurately for the mounting bolts is a pita

so i did it my way!! put the centering mandrel(included) in the router, grind centered points on bolts that fit the router base, screw them into the base and slide the base over the mandrel. Tap the LV base to mark the hole locations, drill and countersink, easy and perfect centering!!

routering the hole in the table is a snap, just follow the instructions using the included trammel

the router setup in my 3650 is pretty simple and i also have a dedicated full sized router table on a cabinet

the top is 3/4 maple ply(the paint grade home depot stuff), laminated to match our basement bathroom(heehee!!), afront apron to support the top and house the switched outlet and a couple of ribs of old hardwood flooring that i had. front apron is screwed to the fence guide rail and the back rests on the back fence guide rail with a rabbett. the router tabletop just sits at the back but also maintains the spacing of the fence rails

its pretty crude, but cheap and easy to make and after three years it still flat and there's almost always a router hanging in it, and the best part is that you can use the TS fence!! plus you can switch routers in seconds

[duggie]

I'v got one also and I like it very much andI like it because it is extremely useful not to have to replace the base when I want to do some hand routing. The plate is a bit bigger than the stock base plate but it is still small enough to weild it by hand. I have it installed in a laminated, 1 1/2 thick MDF top on my TS rolling cabinet.

It took the better part of 3-4 hours to install it in my top (mostly because I didn't want to screw up my new, recently finished cabinet top) and I mounted it first using a piece of scrap to work out the kinks, then installed it in my top. When I first got it I had a Crapsman fixed base router and it took some time to install it with the handles on the router. Then I replaced the router with a fixed/plunge base router and have the fixed based install permantly on the plate. Another plus: I use the supplied pivot pin as a freehand routing starter pin in the base plate.

My only beef with the base is, it was a little difficult to level the plate in my top after I routed the hole, so I just added a few leveling screws in the cabinet top.

Also, make sure you read the instructions very carefully (especially when refering to the aluminum bar). I used it wrong the first time and had to build a new bar with some of my aluminum stock.

I would also recommend this base plate for you ... very good product and worth the money !!!

[stevem]

pretty nice setup there duggie, makes mine look kinda crude!!

i have to admit that i did mine in a hurry, my old saw got ruined in a fire and i was in the middle of a job and needed a new one. a more elaborate one is on the list but it does work well

[Mark_R]

Thanks very much guys, much appreciated. Can someone describe the routing process and the bits needed? Also, Duggie, if i'm reading correctly, your router handles gave you some issues during installation?

[stevem]

routering the hole in a tabletop is well decribed in the instruction sheet and on the website

http://www.leevalley.com/shopping/In...s.aspx?p=40702

all you need is a 1/2 inch straight bit

i put my routers in from above instead of up from below,so i didnt cut any extra out to get the plate in

i also cut the rabbett a little deeper and added 3 wood screws from below to level the router with the table top

[duggie]

Thanks very much guys, much appreciated. Can someone describe the routing process and the bits needed? Also, Duggie, if i'm reading correctly, your router handles gave you some issues during installation?

On the crapsman router that had a fixed base only ... YES.

At the time it was my only router and I was using it for both the bench and freehand ... so I went through the effort of making clearance under the top for the handles. When I went to tilt the router to install it from below, the handles were hitting the top, so I removed about 1/2" to 3/4" of the tops thickness to clear the handles. Plus the trigger switch was on the handle and I couldn't remove them.

I upgraded to another router with a fixed base and a plunge base, so I have the fixed base permanently attached to the LV plate and use the plunge base for freehand routing.

And it is easy to install in the tabletop, good instructions, just make sure you read them carefully and maybe practise on a chunk of spare wood the same thickness as your top.

[Mark_R]

Great help everyone. Helps to ease my mind that i'll actually be able to router the hole out properly.

Would i be correct in thinking that if i align the holes that allow it to tilt that the handles on my router could potentially NOT be in the way?

[stevem]

i drop my router in from the top so no extra cutouts were needed but i have to remove the handles from my big hitachi to get it in

[Kerry in Fort Sask, AB]

I have the fixed base of my MC Max router screwed to that same plate. I also had to remove a little thickness from the table to be able to clear the handles on the way in. Not a big deal. I like this system. As others have said it's a relatively cheap and easy way to mount a router.

Kerry

[stevem]

the only real issue i have with this routerplate is the method of drilling the plate for the routerbase

not one of LV's better ideas

locating those holes accurately is vital if you are going to use template guides at all

[duggie]

.... and I also want to add another con that I just remembered (after reading steve's last post).

The hole diameter in the plate does not accomodate any big diameter router bits. I have a big diameter thumbnail bit from LV and the bit diameter is bigger than the hole diameter ... not a big deal, I just mounted the bit above the plate and used a scrap piece of wood as a new top for that bit ... but, it is a issue if you use bigger diameter bits.

[stevem]

duggie is right, although this is true for many router plates

the hole in the center holds the leevalley guide bushings(the larger size)

one of my bases has been cut to suit larger router bits, not a big deal

additional base blanks are available from LV without all of the extra installation parts, i believe the extra base is about half the cost of the complete kit

[Mark_R]

I'm using a 1.75 hp router and I'm a bit of a newbie, so use of the larger bits was probably not in the cards anyway.

thanks guys.

Mark